Abc Gives Bush Apology

DIGEST

May 11, 1995|Staff Reports

MIAMI - — ABC News has apologized to Jeb Bush for distorting an interview with a fugitive who was incorrectly quoted as claiming he paid Bush $75,000 for influence in Washington while Bush's father was vice president.

ABC sent the news media advance copies of the edited transcript of a 20/20 interview with Miguel Recarey Jr., who is accused of diverting federal money as former head of International Medical Centers, a Miami-based Medicare-certified HMO.

The 20/20 segment is scheduled to be broadcast on Friday.

ABC said it discovered the error after the fugitive disputed the allegations attributed to him in news stories.

Bush, a Republican who lost his 1994 campaign to be Florida governor, has repeatedly denied allegations that Recarey paid him for lobbying.